enough to beat the proud Scots twice over, if it be
your pleasure," said one of these soldiers to Trois Eschelles.

But that cautious official made a sign to him to remain quiet, and
addressed the Scottish Archer with great civility. "Surely, sir,
this is a great insult to the Provost Marshal, that you should
presume to interfere with the course of the King's justice, duly
and lawfully committed to his charge; and it is no act of justice
to me, who am in lawful possession of my criminal. Neither is
it a well meant kindness to the youth himself, seeing that fifty
opportunities of hanging him may occur, without his being found in
so happy a state of preparation as he was before your ill advised
interference."

"If my young countryman," said the Scot, smiling, "be of opinion I
have done him an injury, I will return him to your charge without
a word more dispute."

"No, no! -- for the love of Heaven, no!" exclaimed Quentin. "I
would rather you swept my head off with your long sword -- it would
better become my birth, than to die by the hands of such a foul
churl."

"Hear how he revileth," said the finisher of the law. "Alas! how
soon our best resolutions pass away! -- he was in a blessed frame
for departure but now, and in two minutes he has become a contemner
of authorities."

"Tell me at once," said the Archer, "what has this young man done."

"Interfered," answered Trois Eschelles, with some earnestness, "to
take down the dead body of a criminal, when the fleur de lys was
marked on the tree where he was hung with my own proper hand."

"How is this, young man?" said the Archer; "how came you to have
committed such an offence?"

"As I desire your protection," answered Durward, "I will tell you
the truth as if I were at confession. I saw a man struggling on the
tree, and I went to cut him down out of mere humanity. I thought
neither of fleur de lys nor of clove gilliflower, and had no more
idea of offending the King of France than our Father the Pope."

"What a murrain had you to do with the dead body, then?" said the
Archer. "You 'll see them hanging, in the rear of this gentleman,
like grapes on every tree, and you will have enough to do in this
country if you go a-gleaning after the hangman. However, I will
not quit a countryman's cause if I can help it. -- Hark ye, Master
Marshals man, you see this is entirely a mistake. You should have
some compassion on so young a traveller. In our country at home
he has not been accustomed to see such active proceedings as yours
and your master's."

"Not for want of need of them, Signior Archer," said Petit Andre,
who returned at this moment. "Stand fast, Trois Eschelles, for
here comes the Provost Marshal; we shall presently see how he will
relish having his work taken out of his hand before it is finished."

"And in good time," said the Archer, "here come some of my comrades."

Accordingly, as the Provost Tristan rode up with his patrol on one
side of the little bill which was the scene of the altercation,
four or five Scottish Archers came as hastily up on the other, and
at their head the Balafre himself.

Upon this urgency, Lesly showed none of that indifference towards
his nephew of which Quentin had in his heart accused him; for he
no sooner saw his comrade and Durward standing upon their defence,
than he exclaimed, "Cunningham, I thank thee. -- Gentlemen --
comrades, lend me your aid. -- It is a young Scottish gentleman --
my nephew -- Lindesay -- Guthrie -- Tyrie, draw, and strike in!"

There was now every prospect of a desperate scuffle between the
parties, who were not so disproportioned in numbers but that the
better arms of the Scottish cavaliers gave them an equal chance
of victory. But the Provost Marshal, either doubting the issue of
the conflict, or aware that it would be disagreeable to the King,
made a sign to his followers to forbear from violence, while he
demanded of Balafre, who now put himself forward as the head of the
other party, what he, a cavalier of the King's Bodyguard, purposed
by opposing the execution of a criminal.

"I deny that I do so," answered the Balafre. "Saint Martin! [patron
saint of Tours, Lucca, and of penitent drunkards. He was greatly
honoured in the Middle Ages.] there is, I think, some difference
between the execution of a criminal and a slaughter of my own
nephew!"

"Your nephew may be a criminal as well as another," said the Provost
Marshal; "and every stranger in France is amenable to the laws of
France."

"Yes, but we have privileges, we Scottish Archers," said Balafre,
"have we not, comrades?"

"Yes, yes," they all exclaimed together. "Privileges -- privileges!
Long live King Louis -- long live the bold Balafre -- long live the
Scottish Guard -- and death to all who would infringe our privileges!"

"We will have no reason at your hand," said Cunningham; "our own
officers shall do us reason. We will be judged by the King's grace,
or by our own Captain, now that the Lord High Constable is not in
presence."

"And we will be hanged by none," said Lindesay, "but Sandie Wilson,
the auld Marshals man of our ain body."

"It would be a positive cheating of Sandie, who is as honest
a man as ever tied noose upon hemp, did we give way to any other
proceeding," said the Balafre. "Were I to be hanged myself, no
other should tie tippet about my craig."

"But hear ye," said the Provost Marshal, "this young fellow belongs
not to you, and cannot share what you call your privileges."

"What we call our privileges, all shall admit to be such," said
Cunningham.

"We will not hear them questioned!" was the universal cry of the
Archers.

"Ye are mad, my masters," said Tristan l'Hermite. "No one disputes
your privileges; but this youth is not one of you."

"He is my nephew," said the Balafre, with a triumphant air.

"But no Archer of the Guard, I think," retorted Tristan l'Hermite.

The Archers looked on each other in some uncertainty.

"Stand to it yet, comrade," whispered Cunningham to Balafre. "Say
he is engaged with us."

"Saint Martin! you say well, fair countryman," answered Lesly; and
raising his voice, swore that he had that day enrolled his kinsman
as one of his own retinue. This declaration was a decisive argument.

"It is well, gentlemen," said the Provost Tristan, who was aware of
the King's nervous apprehension of disaffection creeping in among
his Guards. "You know, as you say, your privileges, and it is
not my duty to have brawls with the King's Guards, if it is to be
avoided. But I will report this matter for the King's own decision;
and I would have you to be aware, that, in doing so, I act more
mildly than perhaps my duty warrants."

So saying, he put his troop into motion, while the Archers, remaining
on the spot, held a hasty consultation what was next to be done.
"We must report the matter to Lord Crawford, our Captain, in the
first place, and have the young fellow's name put on the roll."

"But, gentlemen, and my worthy friends and preservers," said
Quentin, with some hesitation, "I have not yet determined whether
to take service with you or no."

"Then settle in your own mind," said his uncle, "whether you choose
to do so, or be hanged -- for I promise you, that, nephew of mine
as you are, I see no other chance of your 'scaping the gallows."

This was an unanswerable argument, and reduced Quentin at once to
acquiesce in what he might have otherwise considered as no very
agreeable proposal; but the recent escape from the halter, which
had been actually around his neck, would probably have reconciled
him to a worse alternative than was proposed.

"He must go home with us to our caserne," said Cunningham; "there
is no safety for him out of our bounds, whilst these man hunters
are prowling."

"May I not then abide for this night at the hostelry where
I breakfasted, fair uncle?" said the youth -- thinking, perhaps,
like many a new recruit, that even a single night of freedom was
something gained.

"Yes, fair nephew," answered his uncle, ironically, "that we may have
the pleasure of fishing you out of some canal or moat, or perhaps
out of a loop of the Loire, knit up in a sack for the greater
convenience of swimming -- for that is like to be the end on't. The
Provost Marshal smiled on us when we parted," continued he, addressing
Cunningham, "and that is a sign his thoughts were dangerous."

"I care not for his danger," said Cunningham; "such game as we are
beyond his bird bolts. But I would have thee tell the whole to the
Devil's Oliver [Oliver Dain: Oliver's name, or nickname, was Le
Diable, which was bestowed on him by public hatred, in exchange
for Le Daim, or Le Dain. He was originally the King's barber, but
afterwards a favourite counsellor. S.], who is always a good friend
to the Scottish Guard, and will see Father Louis before the Provost
can, for he is to shave him tomorrow."

"But hark you," said Balafre, "it is ill going to Oliver empty
handed, and I am as bare as the birch in December."

"So are we all," said Cunningham. "Oliver must not scruple to take
our Scottish words for once. We will make up something handsome
among us against the next payday; and if he expects to share, let
me tell you, the payday will come about all the sooner."

"And now for the Chateau," said Balafre; "and my nephew shall tell
us by the way how he brought the Provost Marshal on his shoulders,
that we may know how to frame our report both to Crawford and
Oliver."

CHAPTER VII: THE ENROLMENT

Justice of Peace. --
Here, hand me down the statute -- read the articles --
Swear, kiss the book -- subscribe, and be a hero;
Drawing a portion from the public stock
For deeds of valour to be done hereafter --
Sixpence per day, subsistence and arrears.

THE RECRUITING OFFICER

An attendant upon the Archers having been dismounted, Quentin
Durward was accommodated with his horse, and, in company of his
martial countrymen, rode at a round pace towards the Castle of
Plessis, about to become, although on his own part involuntarily,
an inhabitant of that gloomy fortress, the outside of which had,
that morning, struck him with so much surprise.

In the meanwhile, in answer to his uncle's repeated interrogations,
he gave him an exact account of the accident which had that morning
brought him into so much danger. Although he himself saw nothing
in his narrative save what was affecting, he found it was received
with much laughter by his escort.

"And yet it is no good jest either," said his uncle, "for what, in
the devil's name, could lead the senseless boy to meddle with the
body of a cursed misbelieving Jewish Moorish pagan?"

"Had he quarrelled with the Marshals men about a pretty wench,
as Michael of Moffat did, there had been more sense in it," said
Cunningham.

"But I think it touches our honour that Tristan and his people pretend
to confound our Scottish bonnets with these pilfering vagabonds --
torques and turbands, as they call them," said Lindesay. "If they
have not eyes to see the difference they must be taught by rule of
hand. But it 's my belief, Tristan but pretends to mistake, that he
may snap up the kindly Scots that come over to see their kinsfolks."

"May I ask, kinsman," said Quentin, "what sort of people these are
of whom you speak?"

"In troth you may ask," said his uncle, "but I know not, fair nephew,
who is able to answer you. Not I, I am sure, although I know, it
may be, as much as other people; but they appeared in this land
within a year or two, just as a flight of locusts might do."

"Ay," said Lindesay, "and Jacques Bonhomme (that is our name for
the peasant, young man -- you will learn our way of talk in time)
-- honest Jacques, I say, cares little what wind either brings them
or the locusts, so he but knows any gale that would carry them away
again."

"Do they do so much evil?" asked the young man.

"Evil? why, boy, they are heathens, or Jews, or Mahommedans at
the least, and neither worship Our Lady, nor the Saints" (crossing
himself) "and steal what they can lay hands on, and sing, and tell
fortunes," added Cunningham.

"And they say there are some goodly wenches amongst these," said
Guthrie; "but Cunningham knows that best."

"How, brother!" said Cunningham. "I trust ye mean me no reproach?"

"I am sure I said ye none," answered Guthrie.

"I will be judged by the company," said Cunningham. "Ye said as
much as that I, a Scottish gentleman, and living within pale of holy
church, had a fair friend among these off scourings of Heathenesse."

"Nay, nay," said Balafre, "he did but jest. We will have no quarrels
among comrades."

"We must have no such jesting then," said Cunningham, murmuring,
as if he had been speaking to his own beard.

"Be there such vagabonds in other lands than France?" said Lindesay.

"Ay, in good sooth, are there -- tribes of them have appeared in
Germany, and in Spain, and in England," answered Balafre. "By the
blessing of good Saint Andrew, Scotland is free of them yet."

"Scotland," said Cunningham, "is too cold, a country for locusts,
and too poor a country for thieves."

"Or perhaps John Highlander will suffer no thieves to thrive there
but his own," said Guthrie.

"I let you all know," said Balafre, "that I come from the Braes
of Angus, and have gentle Highland kin in Glen Isla and I will not
have the Highlanders slandered."

"You will not deny that they are cattle lifters?" said Guthrie.

"To drive a spreagh [to plunder] or so, is no thievery," said
Balafre, "and that I will maintain when and how you dare."

"For shame, comrade!" said Cunningham, "who quarrels now? The young
man should not see such mad misconstruction -- Come, here we are
at the Chateau. I will bestow a runlet of wine to have a rouse in
friendship, and drink to Scotland, Highland and Lowland both, if
you will meet me at dinner at my quarters."

"Agreed -- agreed," said Balafre; "and I will bestow another to
wash away unkindness, and to drink a health to my nephew on his
first entrance to our corps."

At their approach, the wicket was opened, and the drawbridge fell.
One by one they entered; but when Quentin appeared, the sentinels
crossed their pikes, and commanded him to stand, while bows were
bent, and harquebusses aimed at him from the walls, a rigour of
vigilance used, notwithstanding that the young stranger came in
company of a party of the garrison, nay, of the very body which
furnished the sentinels who were then upon duty.

Le Balafre, who had remained by his nephew's side on purpose, gave
the necessary explanations, and, after some considerable hesitation
and delay, the youth was conveyed under a strong guard to the